SN.35.15. Paṭhamaassādapariyesanasutta ("In Search of Gratification, Interior")

Saṁyutta Nikāya ("The Linked Discourses")

“Mendicants, I went in search of the eye’s gratification, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the eye’s gratification. I went in search of the eye’s drawback, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the eye’s drawback. I went in search of escape from the eye, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of escape from the eye.

I went in search of the ear’s … nose’s … tongue’s … body’s … mind’s gratification, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the mind’s gratification. I went in search of the mind’s drawback, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the mind’s drawback. I went in search of escape from the mind, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of escape from the mind.

As long as I didn’t truly understand these six interior sense fields’ gratification, drawback, and escape for what they are, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening …

But when I did truly understand …

Knowledge and vision arose in me: ‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’”



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